Hatch for railway cars



Dec. 26, 1939; w. c. STONE HATCH FOR RAILWAY CARS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Aug. 28, 1937 frzvenfor: .Wbffer t. 6! 126 Dec. 26, 1939. I w c STONE 2,184,656

HATCH FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed Aug. 28, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 2 11211612201 H bflef C 67126 26, 1939. w. c. STONE HATCH FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed Aug. 28, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 3.

Dec. 26, 1939. w. c. STONE HATCH FOR RAILWAY CARS Filed Aug. 28, 1937 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 lf/bifer C. fitmefliiorgggz Patented Dec. 26, 1939 UNITED STATES HATCH FOR RAILWAY CARS Walter 0. Stone, St. Louis, Mo., assignor. by

mesne assignments, Equipment Manufact poration of Delaware Application August 28,

6 Claims.

The invention relates to railway refrigerator cars and more particularly to the hatches over the ice baskets of such cars for icing the ice baskets. These hatches are usually closed by a hatch plug which is insulated and arranged to fit tightly within the hatch frame so as to retard the entrance of heat into the ice basket and the escape of cold from the ice basket. The hatch is then covered with a lid to protect the plug, which lid is usually hinged to some part of the car. Means are provided to hold the lid in one of several partially open positions for ventie lation when-the ice baskets are empty.

One of the objects of the invention'is to provide a frame comprising four members rigidly secured together so as to insure a proper fit of the plug, lid and other cooperating and associated parts. The frame is preferably of cast metal to also resist corrosion due to exposure to the weather and salt water.

Another object of the invention is to provide means of weatherproofing the juncture of the roof of the car with the hatch frame.

Another object is to hinge the lid directly to the hatch frame and to support the plug directly from the lid so as to assure a proper fit between the plug and the frame and between the lid and the frame.

Another object of the invention is to pivotally suspend the plug from the lid so as to permit a restricted movement of the plug parallel to the lid so that when closing the hatch the plug will adjust itself to the hatch frame independently of the lid.

Another object of the invention is to provide a handle pivotally connected to the lid, which handle engages means supporting the plug whereby the handle may be used to initially raise the plug independently of the lid or to finally force the plug into engagement with the hatch frame independently of the lid.

Another object of the invention is to support the hatch frame directly by metal carlines forming part of the roof framing of the car so that the impacts of the cubes of ice against the hatch frame are transmitted directly to the carlines independently of the roofing or insulation of the car.

Another object of the invention is to secure the plug to the lid so that it is raised and lowered with the lid, but wherein means of attachment of the plug to the lid permits the plug to adjust. itself automatically to the opening in the hatch frame independently of the lid. Furthermore by this means the plugs are attached to the car so to Standard Railway uring Company, a. cor- 1937, Serial no. 161,532

' that they can not be lost or stolen. Furthermore when the lid and plug are in open position the plug is spaced away from any part of the car so as to be thoroughly dried by the circulat ing air. v

In the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a plan view of my improved hatch opening closure means.

Fig. 2 is a section on line 3-3 of Fig. 1 except the door is shown in open position.

Fig. 3 is a sectionon line 33 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 4 is a perspective View showing the means of attachment of the handle to the lid and plug respectively.

lid.

Fig. 6 is a detail showing the relation between the handle and the latch for engaging the adjusting bar. Fig. '7 shows the handle mounted upon the lid. In the drawings the spaced apart metal carlines'Z extend between the opposite side plates of the car and are secured thereto, each of which carlines is preferably provided with an upper flange 3 for support of the purlins 4 to which the roof boards 5 are secured. The hatch frame, shown as an integral metallic casting, comprises four preferably downwardly and inwardly inclined walls 8 which are extended 9 insubstantially vertical position and secured to'the carlines 2 by rivets or other means ID. A continuous outwardly projecting flange I 2 is provided adjacent the upper part of these walls having a con. tinuous depending reflange l3 at the outer margin of the flange. strength at the upper margin of the hatch frame in either a vertical or horizontal direction.

In order to weatherproof the juncture of the metallic roofing with the hatch frame and provide an insulation for that part of the hatch frame above the car roof 5 I provide preferably wooden corner pieces 6 fitting into the angles between the walls of the frame and the roof boards, which are preferably attached through the roof boards to the purlins by the nails 20. A metallic roofing !9 is providedwith inclined flanges I'l engaging the exterior inclined surfaces 2| of the corner pieces. The wedge 23 is then driven between the roof sheet flanges ll and refianges l3 of the hatch frame and held in place by the nail 25. This arrangement makes a waterproof con,- struction and may also be readily disassembled for removal of the hatch frame or roofing sheets. The construction preferably extends around all four sides of the hatch frame.

Fig. 5 is a detail of the'reinforcing plate on the 23 This construction provides great The hinge lugs 30 for the lid are preferably formed integral with the reflange l3 of the frame or an extension 3| thereof, which lid 32 is provided with a depending flange 33 fitting the downwardly projecting refiange [3 of the hatch frame. This lid is preferably of a metallic sheet designed to resist corrosion.

The handle 36 is preferably made of two bars, each pivotally hinged 31 to the lid at their inner end and formed at their outer end to provide a groove 38 with registering perforations 40 in the walls M of the groove and a latch 43 at one side of the groove. The adjusting bar 45 is provided with a plurality of notches 46 arranged to engage a tongue on the latch 43 and retain the lid 32 in any one of several predetermined'positions. The adjusting bar is preferably provided with a plurality of apertures 41 adjacent the notches so that when one of the notches engages the latch, one of the apertures registers with the perforations 40 in the handle 36 to accommodate a pin which is preferably passed therethrough to retain the bar. 45 in engagement with the latch 43. This pin is preferably chained 50 to the adjusting bar to prevent it from being lost. Preferably the same pin is used to lock the lid in closed position by passing it through the aperture in the adjusting bar ,and perforations 40 in the handle.-

The adjusting bar 45 is preferably hinged to the hatch frame by means of hinge lugs which are preferably cast integral with the hatch frame and positioned on the opposite side of the frame from the hinge lugs 30 for the lid 32.

The margin of the plug 52 adjacent the hinge 30 for the lid 32 is suspended from the lid by a hinge 54 which provides a pivotal connection between the plug 52 and the lid 32 and also permits a restricted movement of the plug parallel to the lid so that the plug will adjust itself to the hatch frame independently of the lid This parallel movement is restricted so that when the lid and plug are in open position the plug will be out of contact 56 with the hatch frame. In the form illustrated this restricted movement of the plug relative to the lid is provided by having either the hinge butt 58 or hinge strap 59 provided with a horizontally elongated hole for the hinge pin.

- The margin of the plug opposite the hinge connection '30 of the plug to the lid is suspended from the handle 36 independently of the lid 32 by a link 65 so as to permit restricted substantially vertical movement of the plug to and from the lid. In the form illustrated the link passes through an opening 66 in the lid, which, for practical purposes, is reinforced by the plate 61. The link 55 is provided with an aperture 69 adjacent its upper end through which the handle passes and the handle is of less vertical height than the aperture at the place of engagement therewith so as to provide a limited substantially vertical movement between the handle and the link, whereby when the plug 52 is wedged into the hatch frame, the raising of the handle raises the plug independently of the lid; furthermore, the handle may be used as a hammer to give the link at 10 a series of sharp vertical raps to loosen the plug from the hatch frame. Conversely upon closing the lid the plug may be forcibly moved into a tight engagement with the hatch frame by the handle even though the lid is completely closed; furthermore, the handle may be used as a hammer to give the link a series of sharp raps at II, which forces are transmitted to the plug independently of the lid.

The link 65 is pivotally connected to the plug adjacent its lower end so as to permit a restricted movement of the plug parallel to the lid 32 so as to permit the plug to adjust itself in the hatch frame. In the form illustrated the eyelet 14 is secured to the plug by the bolts 15 and is provided with an upstanding web 16 provided with an aperture H which registers with the elongated apertures 19 in the link, all of which is shown in Fig. 4, the pin, however, being omitted to clarify the drawing. The web 16 engages the led 32 and raises the lid after the plug has been raised a predetermined amount.

The plug 52 is suspended from the lid so as to move upwardly or downwardly therewith and the pivotal connections heretofore described as permitting restricted movement of the plug parallel with the lid are as heretofore described for the purpose of permitting the plug to adjust itself into the hatch frame independently of the lid. However, there is another object of this restricted motion and that is to keep the plug out of engagement with the hatch frame when the lid and the plug are in open position. This feature not only retards wear on the plug but also retains it in a spaced relation 56 from any part of the car so that it will be quickly dried by the circulating air.

The accompanying drawings illustrate the preferred form of the invention, though it is to be understood that the invention is not limited to the exact details of construction shown and described as it is obvious that various modifications thereof, within the scope of the claims, will occur to persons skilled in the art.

I claim:

1. In a refrigerator car, the combination of a hatch frame, a lid hinged to the hatch frame, a handle hinged to the lid, a hatch plug, a hinge pivotally suspending said plug from adjacent one margin of the lid, and a link opposite from said hinge pivotally secured at the lower end thereof to said plug and extending upwardly through an opening in said lid in slidable relation therewith, said link provided with an aperture adjacent its upper end through which the handle passes, said handle being of less vertical height than said aperture at place of engagement therewith so as to provide limited vertical movement between the handle and the link, whereby the handle may be used to initially raise the plug independently of the lid.

2. In a refrigerator car, the combination of a hatch frame, a lid hinged to the hatch frame, a handle hinged to the lid, a hatch plug, a hinge pivotally suspending said plug from adjacent one margin of the lid, a link opposite from said hinge pivotally secured at the lower end thereof to said plug and extending upwardly through an opening in said lid in slidable relation therewith, said link provided with an aperture adjacent its upper end through which the handle passes, said handle being of less vertical height than said aperture 'at place of engagement therewith so as to provide limited vertical movement between the handle and the link, and a member on the plug positioned to engage the lid upon a predetermined vertical movement of said plug, whereby the handle may be used to initially raise the plug independently of the lid or to finally force the plug into engagement with the hatch frame independently of the lid.

3. In a'refrigerator car, the-combination of a hatch frame, a hinged lid therefor, a plug fitting in said hatch frame, and means to raise said plug when the lid is closed without opening the lid,

said means comprising a link loosely connected to said plug and extending upwardly through the lid in slidable relation therewith.

4. In a refrigerator car, the combination of a hatch frame, a hinged lid therefor, a plug fitting in said hatch frame, and means to raise said plug when the lid is closed without opening the lid, said means also constituting means to force the plug into engagement with the frame when the lid is closed without opening the lid, said means comprising a link loosely connected to said plug and extending upwardly through the lid in slidable relation therewith.

5. In a refrigerator car, the combination of a hatch frame, a hinged lid therefor, a plug fitting in said hatch frame, and means to force the plug into engagement with the frame when the lid is closed without opening the lid, said means comprising a link loosely connected to said plug and extending upwardly through the lid in slidable relation therewith. v 6. In a refrigerator car, the combination of a hatch frame, a lid therefor hinged thereto, a plug fitting in said frame in spaced relation to said lid, and a handle hinged solely to the upper surface of said lid, said plug pivotally connected to the lid adjacent the hinged margin of the lid so as to permit movement of the plug relative to the lid about an axis parallel to the axis of the lid hinge, said plug being ccnnected to said handle adjacent the free margin of the lid by a link extending through an openingin said lid in slidable relation therewith, whereby a swinging movement of the handle first disengages the front edge of the plug from the frame and then raises the lid and plug to open position, the connection between the plug and the handle permitting movement of the plug relative to the lid about an axis parallel to the axis of the lid hinge. 4

vWALTER C. STONE. 

